The development of high energy cell systems requires the compatibility of an electrolyte possessing desirable electrochemical properties with highly active anode materials, such as lithium, calcium, sodium and the like, and the efficient use of high energy density cathode materials, such as FeS.sub.2, Co.sub.3 O.sub.4, PbO.sub.2, oxyhalides and the like. One drawback in the manufacturing and assembling of these high energy cell systems is that the anodes, such as lithium, are usually soft, sticky material having a tendency to stick together when they are transported between areas for assembly into cells. In addition, anodes such as lithium have a tendency to accummulate static charge buildup during their transportation from the manufacturing facilities to the assembling facilities.
In the manufacture of soft, sticky strips of lithium, it has been proposed in the prior art, specfically U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,113, that thin continuous lithium strips can be produced by cold rolling lithium metal while it is compressed between smooth surfaces of a solid polymeric composition, which composition is nonreactive with lithium and has a critical surface tension of not over 46 dynes per centimeter at 20.degree. C. The use of the polymeric sheet material is essential so as to prevent the sticking of the lithium to the metal surfaces of the roller. Once continuous lithium strips are produced another problem encountered is in the cutting of the lithium metal into a plurality of pieces which can be employed as lithium anodes in various types of cell systems. To overcome this problem it is disclosed in the prior art, specifically U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,017, that a flexible film, preferably of plastic, be interposed between the blade of a cutting device and a lithium strip such that when the blade is forced against the anvil with sufficient force to cut the lithium, the film prevents contact of the blade with the lithium. This will prevent any buildup of lithium being developed on the blade which would occur generally after only a few cutting operations. Although solutions in the prior art that have been proposed for the manufacture of a plurality of lithium electrodes from lithium strip material, one problem that still exists is in the transporting of the lithium electrodes from the manufacturing site to the assembly site where they will be assembled into a cell. Rectangular, square, circular or other shaped lithium electrodes are usually transported to the assembly station where they are then fed into automatic feeding machines and assembled into a cell container. It has been observed that during the transporting to and automatic feeding of the lithium anodes at the assembly station, there is a tendency for freshy cut lithium anodes to stick to themselves and to accummulate static charge whereupon the anodes then tend to stick to other surfaces resulting in a disruption of the assembly operation. This problem is most pronounced in employing lithium anodes for miniature type button cells in which the anodes can be as small as a square measuring 0.22 inch by 0.10 inch thick. An additional problem encountered during the transporting to and the feeding of lithium anodes at the assembly site is that there is a tendency for a coating of the lithium to build up on any metallic or plastic surface that they contact. In the manufacture of lithium strips, this tendency of the lithium buildup on metal surfaces was eliminated through the use of polymeric materials as described above in conjunction with U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,113 and to the use of flexible plstic film as discussed above in conjunction with U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,017. These solutions cannot be employed in the transporting of lithium anodes to the assembly site since the anodes are relatively small discrete bodies and any attempts to apply a plastic or polymeric material between the anodes would be time consuming, laborious and expensive.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a coated active anode, such as a lithium that will retard static buildup and will not stick to metal and plastic surfaces as well as to other lithium anodes while being transported to an assembly site.
Another object of this invention is to provide a soft active anode with a coating of an electrically nonconductive and chemically and electrochemically inert particulate material.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method for producing active anode members, such as lithium, with a coating of an electrically nonconductive and chemically and electrochemically inert particulate material, such as talc, zinc oxide, alumina or lithium oxide.
Another object of this invention is to provide a lithium anode with a coating of an electrically nonconductive and chemically and electrochemically inert particulate material in an amount between about 0.1 milligram per square centimeter and about 8 milligrams per square centimeter.
The foregoing and additional objects will become more fully apparent from the following description.